Assessment of psychological and social factors in adolescents risk behavior: questionnaire study.

AIM To investigate the influence of psychological and social factors on health risk behaviors, such as smoking, alcohol and psychoactive drug consumption among adolescents and to determine the prevalence of consuming various psychoactive substances. METHODS The survey was conducted among adolescents in the Primorsko-goranska County in Croatia in 2003. The prevalence of smokers, alcohol, and psychoactive drugs consumers and abstainers, with general and specific predictors for the development of risk behavior of 2,452 adolescents in Primorsko-goranska County was determined by means of valid self-reported questionnaires. The adolescents were stratified according to gender and type of secondary school. RESULTS Every third student smoked cigarettes every day, and 73% consumed beer, wine, and alcoholic beverages occasionally. The percentage of illicit drugs consumption (experimental, occasional and regular) ranged from 2,3% for opiates to 35.6 for marihuana. Girls consumed more cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, and sedatives every day, whereas boys consumed more beer, wine, and marihuana. Consumption of all psychoactive substances was more prevalent among senior students. A moderate correlation was found between addictive resources consumption and negative peer influence and ways of spending free time. CONCLUSION Most adolescents had personal experience with psychoactive substance use, mostly tobacco, alcohol, and marihuana. The strongest predictors were negative peer influence and ways of spending free time. These findings may be useful for formulating strategies for prevention of addiction among adolescents.